Did you know that dueling was once a common practice in the U.S. Like the English common law we brought over to the New World that was the building blocks of our strong and humane legal tradition we also brought along the bad habits of fighting. The poor had street brawls , the rich had their pistols. They tried to make it seem more reasonable and governed by rules, but it was still just fighting often over damaged egos. Today we sue , back then they shot. Today we "flame" and have twitter wars. Less violent physically , yet words can damage often as much or more.
The dueling lasted into the middle 1800's. And often nobody died, they just took turns shooting at each other -colonial pistols were notorious for misfiring, However there were times when tragedy struck and families were deprived of a breadwinner - since it was almost exclusively male - women had more sense (and were prohibited).
There were 2 notable instances of dueling in US History, and both involved notable political leaders.Our seventh President, Andrew Jackson , before he was elected, had been a career military officer - fought in the War of 1812 and won the Battle of New Orleans, the last conflict of the war. He also had a fierce temper and pride and is reported to have participated in about 100 duels. In one notable duel he took a non-fatal shot in the chest, misfired and then quickly reloaded and killed his opponent with a second shot.
The most famous duel was between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton in 1804. They had been bitter political rivals for years, representing opposing political philosophies. Both were veterans of the American Revolution and served in high office. Hamilton was the key writer of the Federalist Papers arguing for the ratification of the Constitution and also served as the first Secretary of the Treasury. Burr was elected to the US Senate, directed as president of the Senate the first impeachment trial - that of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase. He also was elected as the third Vice President of the U.S., serving under President Thomas Jefferson and was in office at the time of the duel.
Both men shot almost simultaneously. Hamilton missed, but Burr did not. Hamilton was fatally wounded by a shot that pierced his liver and spine. He died the next day. Both men's lives were ruined by the duel. Burr was charged with murder, but acquitted. He was left off the Presidential ticket when Jefferson ran again and won. He was charged with treason due to a land scheme that happened a few years later. He lived 32 years longer but in obscurity. And of course, Hamilton died, yet his legacy is secure -the Federalist Papers guarantee that.
Such a waste of talent. You have to wonder, was it honor , or just stupid stubborn pride?
No comments:
Post a Comment